Sunday, November 29, 2009

Nooooooooooo!

When I arrived at the hospital this morning a little after 10:00 a.m., The Spouse was slightly more chipper.

They let him have coffee with his breakfast.

Ah, the simple pleasures.

While I was there the Doctor On Call stopped by to take a look-see and have a chat. Once he discovered The Spouse speaks French he switched from Russian to French, and then I was able to follow a bit better.

What I learned:

This is likely NOT hereditary.

It is likely NOT due to his height

Other than the fact that being so tall makes it difficult to sit comfortably in chairs and on airplanes.

He is, for whatever reason, prone to producing blood clots in his legs which have traveled to his lungs.

But only to his lungs.

And only to small veins/arteries/blood vessels in his lungs.

And only to the lowest part of the lungs (which is the best place if you are going to have clots in your lungs).

His blood pressure has been in the normal range, and his blood oxygen fine since yesterday (when it was actually better than when he checked in on Thursday night).

Christmas travel is NOT necessarily ruled out, especially now that he is being treated. But we will make the final decision the week we intend to travel to the US.

While I was there the babysitter called to say

The electricians are here to replace your electric meter (which has NEVER functioned in the TWO YEARS we have lived here)

Baboo is sick and won't leave our bed.

So I scurried home to find Baboo with a

Sore throat

Fever of 101F/38.3C

Aches

Irritability

Oh, spit.

That's all we need.

She responded well to Advil and while she's not feeling totally okay, her fever came down and her mood lifted. But if she's still poorly tomorrow morning I'm marching her across the street to the doctor and keeping Skittles home, too.

In the meantime, I have managed to find myself with little anyone wants to eat in the house.

7 comments:

I've been very impressed with health care here in Russia. I've had to spend three weeks in a hospital here in Moscow, but it was not that bad. I did not like the emergency room where I was stripped naked and not allowed to leave or anybody see me, but after I was discharged to a regular ward, it was a lot better. But I think you'll find that health care is pretty good here, as good if not better than the hospital back home in the US. Good luck to you and yours.

I have been VERY impressed with the Russian doctors. VERY. One spent 45 minutes in The Spouse's room today, just chatting. I learned a lot about what was going on. I would tell other expats not to be concerned at all.

Well I am so relieved that Da is on the mend and sorry that Baboo has the flu... And I hope you and Skittles do not get it too! The Russian med care sounds very, very good! I can't imagine an Amer. Doc EVER spending 45 minutes with a hosp patient although the neurologist did spend 45 minutes with my friend when we went to see him in Cincinnati last weekend. But that was the initial history and workup and diagnosis... I sat in so I know he was good. But hospital rounds are usually pretty quick here... My doc always came about 7 pm which was the end of a very long work day for him and stayed a bit but not longer than 15 minutes... So it seems to me that Da is in very good hands...

So does this tendency for him to clot mean that he needs to take blood thinners and fly biz class so he can stretch his legs out? But you said it has nothing to do with his height??

Anyhow fall is fully underway here. I have got to finish grading my last papers here and calculate grades as the university has the grade deadline at Dec 1st this year.

So today I will be doing that. The gym continues to go smoothly although I have been off the wagon with my diet since Thurs and am back on it today again...

I am looking forward to seeing you all in Dec sometime. Kiss everyone for me and give them big hugs... xov

On the brite side, it doesn't sound like swine flu. It comes on quick, as in just hours. My daughter was fine in the morning and then the school called at 9.30 to say she had a fever of 103.7. By the time my mom got her to urgent care, where I met them, her fever was 104.1.She was given motrin in Urgent care, and it only took her fever down to around 101. Within three doses of Tamiflu, I could keep her fever down to around 100, alternating between motrin and tylenol as well.The swine flu is a real bugger, so I hope your little one stays piggie free!!